Mustaqbal: Nasrallah Stances Confirm Hizbullah, Iran are Blocking Presidential Vote

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc noted Thursday that the latest stances of Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah have “once again” confirmed that Hizbullah and its regional backer Iran are “obstructing” the presidential election in Lebanon.

“His verbal and ambiguous support for a certain candidate (Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun) is a new proof that Hizbullah is blocking the electoral process, despite his and his party's desperate attempts to pin the blame on al-Mustaqbal Movement or the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

The bloc also warned that Nasrallah's “unjust verbal attacks against KSA will once again pose major risks to the interests of Lebanon and the Lebanese.”

Nasrallah had claimed Tuesday that the Free Patriotic Movement and al-Mustaqbal Movement have reached “agreements” regarding the presidential election, calling for involving Speaker Nabih Berri and Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh in the understandings.

Reiterating Hizbullah's support for Aoun's nomination, Nasrallah said “Hizbullah's choice has always been clear.”

“We are the people of honesty, loyalty and commitment to our stances. This is how we've always been and this is how we'll always remain,” he added.

“There are agreements between the FPM and Mustaqbal, so where is the problem in forging agreements with Berri, Franjieh and the rest of the allies?” Nasrallah asked.

“Should Franjieh withdraw from the race, will the presidential vote take place? Before (al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad) Hariri announces his nomination of Aoun this theory is meaningless,” the Hizbullah chief noted.

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum.

Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.

The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid argue that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.